NARRATIVES

Write this in your Warm-Up Journal:  LEQ 1: What is a narrative?  Answer: A story or account of events or experiences. Narratives can be fictional, or based on actual events.

Fact vs. Fiction  Many people think that all narratives are completely fictional (made-up,) but that’s not necessarily true.  A narrative can be a made up story, but it can also be a description of something that actually happened to you (personal narrative.)

All narratives must include three concepts:  Characters  Setting  Plot

Structure of Narratives  All narratives follow a set of steps called the plot diagram.  These steps are:  Exposition  Rising Action  Climax  Falling Action  Resolution

Exposition  The exposition serves as the introductory phase of the story.  In the exposition, you are introduced to the:  Characters  Setting  Conflict  Additionally, the exposition establishes the point-of-view in which the story will be written.

Conflict  There are many types of conflict in narratives. Some of these include:  Character vs. Character  Character vs. Self  Character vs. Nature  Character vs. Society

Rising Action  During the rising action portion of the story, a few important events occur: 1. You learn more about the characters. Often, secondary characters are introduced. 2. The conflict is further revealed. 3. Tension builds.

Climax  The climax serves as the turning point of the story.  Typically, this is the part of the story in which the main character directly confronts the conflict.  As a result, tension is usually the highest during the climax.

Falling Action  During the falling action phase, the conflict begins to be resolved.  Ideally, this leads to a return towards normalcy for the characters (i.e. life begins to return back to normal.)  The reason falling action is so important is because it helps the tension decrease after the climax.

Resolution  By the time of the resolution, the conflict has been resolved.  It is important to consider that not all narratives have a resolution.  Sometimes an author deliberately avoids a resolution so that the story can continue in later narratives.

Other Considerations  A few other important concepts for authors to consider are:  Selection of Point-of-View  Pacing  Characterization  Character Development

Selection of Point-of-View  Authors must be careful when selecting which point- of-views to use.

First Person Point-of-View  It is easy to recognize first person point-of-view because it uses pronouns such as I, me, my, mine, we, or us.  First person point-of-view often tells the story from the perspective of the main character.  While this point-of-view can give unique insight into the feelings and thoughts of the character telling the story, the audience is limited on information because it is only coming from one character.

Third Person Point-of-View  Third person point-of-view can be recognized through the use of third person pronouns such as he, she, it, they, them, him, her, his, hers, its, their, or theirs.  Third person point-of-view can be limited or omniscient.  In third person limited, the narrator focuses on the perspective of one character in the story.  In third person omniscient, the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all the characters in the story.

Pacing  Authors must be careful that their narratives do not move too quickly or too slowly.  This is called pacing.  If the plot moves too quickly, readers may have difficulty keeping up with the events. They may also forget important points.  In the plot moves too slowly, readers may become bored and lose interest in the piece.

Characterization  Characterization is the process by which the writer reveals the personality of a character.  There are two major types of characterization: direct characterization and indirect characterization.

Direct Characterization  By using direct characterization, the author tells the audience what a character’s personality is.  Ex. The shy girl sat by herself in the cafeteria.

Indirect Characterization  By using indirect characterization, the author shares details that show a character’s personality.  Ex. The girl avoided any eye contact with her peers as she nervously scurried across the cafeteria. She hurriedly made her way to a table in an isolated corner where she always ate alone.  The author can accomplish indirect characterization through a variety of ways: STEAL.

STEAL Speech What does the characters say? How does the character speak? Thoughts What is revealed through the character’s private thoughts and feelings? Effect on others What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the character? Actions What does the character do? How does the character behave? Looks What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

Character Development  Character development is the way a character changes throughout a piece.  Static characters are characters whose personalities change little, if at all.  Dynamic characters are characters whose personalities change due to their actions or experiences.

QUESTIONS?